Unified Presentation of 1/f Noise in Electronic Devices: Fundamental 1/f Noise Sources

Aldert van der Ziel

Proceedings of IEEE, vol 76, no 3, 233-258 (1988)

Abstract

This review represents 1/f noise in electronic devices in terms of one Hooge parameter alphaH of the devices. A generalized schematic is given for expressing the noise spectrum Sl(f) in the external circuit in terms of distributed noise source of the nonuniform devices in terms of alphaH; and so one can evaluate alphaH from Sl(f). The result can then be compared with Handel's predictions for alphaH. Despite the fact that there are several objections to Handel's derivation of alphaH, it seems that his final result usually agrees with experiment; apparently the results are not sensitive to the details of the (Bremsstrahlung) photon-electron interaction (Appendix 1).

Collision-free devices (pentodes, vacuum photodiodes, secondary emission multiplier stages, etc.) can always be represented by fundamental 1/f noise sources after spurious noise sources have been eliminated or discriminated against. Collision-dominated devices can show fundamental normal collision 1/f noise, Umklapp 1/f noise, intervalley scattering 1/f noise (if there are intervalleys), intervalley +Umklapp 1/f noise and, in long devices, coherent state or Hooge-type 1/f noise. Most of these processes occur, except pure intervalley 1/f noise, which is replaced by intervalley + Umklapp 1/f noise. Such devices include Schottky barrier diodes, p+-p diodes, p-i-o diodes, n+-p-n and p+-n-p NJTs, n-channel and p-channel Si-JFETs, and p-MOS devices operating under strong inversion. The schematic can also be applied to ballistic devices.

1/f in electronic device section